Raphinha Cries 'Robbery', Blasts Referees As Barcelona Stumble Against Atleti In UCL

Last Updated:April 15, 2026, 08:29 IST

Raphinha slams refereeing after Barcelona exit UEFA Champions League to Atletico Madrid 3-2 on aggregate, calling decisions a robbery and accusing officials of repeated errors

Barcelona forward Raphinha did not hold back in his criticism of refereeing decisions after his team’s dramatic exit from the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals against Atletico Madrid.

The Catalan side were knocked out 3-2 on aggregate despite winning 2-1 in the second leg, a match in which they were once again reduced to 10 men.

The tie swung back and forth, with early goals from Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres bringing Barcelona level on aggregate. However, Ademola Lookman struck for Atletico Madrid, restoring their overall lead and ultimately scoring the decisive goal. The contest took another turn late in the game when defender Eric Garcia was sent off following a VAR review, mirroring a similar red-card incident in the first leg.

Questioning Refereeing Decisions?

Raphinha, who missed both matches due to injury, was visibly frustrated and openly questioned the standard of officiating. “As far as I’m concerned, it was a robbery, not just this match but the other one (the first leg) as well," Raphinha told reporters after Barça’s 2-1 win on the night proved insufficient. He added: “I think the refereeing is going really badly; the decisions he (Turpin) makes are unbelievable … I really want to understand why they’re so afraid that Barcelona will come and win."

The Brazilian winger also reflected on how the repeated decisions affected the team’s efforts. “It was tough, especially when you realise you have to work three times as hard to win the match," Raphinha was quoted as saying by reporters after the second leg in Madrid.

“I think this tie was quite misleading, in my view. I think everyone can make mistakes; everyone is human. But when the mistakes keep repeating themselves in exactly the same way, I think that’s something we need to pay attention to."

Barcelona had previously raised concerns over refereeing decisions in both legs, but their complaints were dismissed.

(With inputs from Agencies)

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